Drier



J. MIELE Dec. 12, 1939.

DRIER Filed April 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nnuivdof/ Jhn pie/e WITNESS I 34.10 2/ 9 J. MlELE DRIER Dec. 12, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 6, 1938 0 O O O O O O O O0 cfohn M/e/e Q Patent'ed'Dec. 12, 1939 I t f; {2483,206 DRIER Johnf lVI iele, Jersey (Lf ity,"lslfJ. lll lication April 6,-1938, SerialNo. 200,467,

The invention relates to driers "and more particularly, to those intended primarily for use inlaundries for drying curtains, blanketsand the like. Even though driers for .suchpurposes find 5 their principal useduring thespring and fall,-the

customary permanently installedzivdriers necessarily occupy a great dealof valuable floor space throughout the year. One object of, my invention, however, is to provide a relatively small, compact, simple and inexpensive" drier which occupies little space at anytime, this beingparticu- 'larly advantageous during the-seasons of the year during whichit finds little use.

A further object is to provide a novel-drier hail- 16 ing two drying frames movable into and from a casing in which the drying'operation isperformed, said frames being so connected with each other that one frame is always automatically within the casing when the; other :frame. is at 20 the exterior of said casing, andvice versa. Thus, while engaging the curtains, blankets or the like with the emptyframe' at the 'exte'rior of the casing, the previous-3y filled frame iswithin said casing and drying of itsload is being effected, and v whenthe freshly loaded frame ismoved into said casing, the frame with thedriedload automatically moves from'said casing. The drier may thus be operated continuously torperform a great deal of work in a relativelyshort time. The

heat and/or air circulation within the drying casing is/are so controlled that the time, required to dry the load. on the casing-contained frame will equal the time required to'unload the other frame and reload. the same (usually aboutthree,

minutes). The attendants therefore, lose no time "but on the-contrary continuouslyIp-erfonn theacts of unloading one frame, reloading this frame,

moving the newly loaded frame intothe casing, unloading the frame which then moves from the 40, casing, reloading this frame,- moving it into the casing, and so on. 1 Y i The frames are preferably mounted for vettical movement, upwardly into the drying casing and downwardly from said casing, and a further. object is to provide the frame-connecting means 'in'such form that the two frames substantially counter-balance each other foreasy operation,

preventing excessive tiring of the attendants, even-f though they are continuously and rapidly loading,

1 u'noadin'g and shifting the frames;

With the foregoing" in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being a'ccomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings. g Y J Fig.-lislatperspective vieWlpartly' broken away anidlin section "showing 'oneflform of drier constructed in accordance with the'invention.

'' Figs; 2- and 3 are' vertical sectional views" at U right" angles to each other; Fig. 2 being cutonfthe U line 2- -2.of Fig. 3, andFig'. 3. on line 3'-3of Fig. 2. Fig, isia' horizontal sectional View on line 4 4 Fig. 5- is'a fragmentary sectional perspective View of one of the frames: I While theform of construction selected for illustration'ywill be'rather specifically described, it

; isto be understood,thatuwithin'ithe scope of the invention as claimed, numerous variations may bemade. j

HALsuitabIeC'casing. fi iis provided, in which the drying operation is performed, ,and I preferlto provide a motor driven fan' land a water-heated radiator i3 forLsupplying warm air to said casing,

a suitahieventfi being provided for thisair after it: has performed its duty.

1 Any preferred means may be employed for supporting theQcasing-B sufficiently above the; floor as to permit an attendant to conveniently-Walk I} under the, same. [In the present'disclosure, the

casing may be considered as "formed from sheetmetal secured to'a suitable frame which includes corner jposts i0," the'lower portions of said posts extending below the oasingsand being suitably se erably constructedto close said slots, the barII-l of onefrarn'e and the bar 8 of the other frame, or

vice versa, performing the slot-closing function 40' regardless of which frame may be raised and which lowered.

The: two frames I4 are so connected that when 'one thereof occupies a raised position within the casing 6, the other occupies a. lowered position 45 under saidcasing, andvice Versaa The lowered frame is thus readily accessible and one or more ,attendantsgmay readily 'removethe previously driedcurtains or the liketherefrom' and apply others thereto, whereupon this frame is moved 50-. I

intothe casing and the other'frame carrying the dried curtains or the like automatically moved- 1 from said casing, permitting unhampered unloading and reloading of this latter'frame, To hold the curtains or the like on the frames, any desired provision may be made. In the present disclosure,

each frame includes a horizontal vertically adjustable bar l9, and a vertical horizontally adjustable bar 20. These two bars and two of the side bars of the frame are provided, in the present disclosure, with carding cloth to provide spurs 2| by means of which the curtains, blankets or the like may be readily connected with said frames, the bars and [9 being, of course, adjusted according to the size of the article to be dried. Placing the carding cloth on opposite sides of the frames as shown permits each frame to carry a pair of curtains which can be quickly and easily applied and removed without damage or injury to the same. The shiftablebars l9 and 20 may be held in adjusted positions by pins or the like at their ends adapted to enter suitable holes or sockets in the bars of the frames as shown, or by any other means.

The preferred means for connecting the two frames M with each other comprises suspending lines 22 connected at their ends with said frames respectively, and sheaves 23 over which said lines are trained, said lines being of such length that when either frame is fully lowered, the other is fully raised, and vice versa. By connecting the frames in this manner, not only do I insure the proper relative movements of said frames, but said frames are caused to substantially counterbalance each other for each of operation. The sheaves or pulleys 23 are preferably located above the top of the drying chamber, the latter bein provided with small openings for lines 22; and by making thediameters of the sheaves approximately the distance between the openings, it will require but little effort to move the counterbalanced frames. While catches may be provided for holding the frames in either of their two positions, it has been found in practice that they are unnecessary since the counterbalancing of the frames and the positioning of their top and bottom bars in the rabbets formed along the slots in the bottom I8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 cause the frames to remain in either position until moved by an attendant. Obviously, the lines 22 may be ropes, cables, straps, or chains, and they may be connected with the frames in any suitable way, for example, by providing-the top bars of said frames with eyes 24 to which the line ends are suitably. secured.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention. The entire structure is relatively small and compact and thus occupies little floor space; when one frame is filled and moved into the drying chamber, the other frame automatically moves fromsaid chamber for unloading and reloading; when this reloaded frame is moved into the drying chamber, the frame previously in said chamber automatically moves therefrom for unloadand reloading. Thus, the attendant or attendants lose no time but may continuously load, 1mload and shift the frames to advantage. The heat and/or air circulation within the drying chamber may be so controlled that the time required to dry the load on the chamber-contained frame will equal the time required to unload the other frame and reload the same, this time being usually about three minutes, and whenever one frame has been unloaded and reloaded, the attendant knows that this'frame should be immediately moved into the drying chamber and knows also that the load on the other frame has by this time been adequately dried. The counterbalancing of the frames insures easy operation thereof and overcomes undue tiring of the attendant or attendants.

Attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed. l

I claim:

1. In a slidable-frame drier, a casing in which the drying operation is performed, two slidable frames for the articles to be dried, said frames being disposed in parallel planes, means for guiding one of said frames both into and out of said casing on one single path, means for guiding the other of said frames both into and out of said casing on another single path, means so conmeeting said frames with each other that said one frame automatically moves out of said ossing on said one single path when said other frame is moved into said casing on said other single path and vice versa., and means for 1imiting the movements of said frames into and out said casing.

2. In a slidable-frame drier, an elevated casing in which the drying operation is performed, saidcasing having two parallel slots in its bottom, two frames for the articles to be dried, means for vertically guiding one of said frames both into and out of said casing through one of said slots, means for vertically guiding the other of said frames'both into and out of said casing through the other of said slots, a frame-suspending, line connected at one of its ends to said one frame and connected at its other end to said other frame, a sheave over which said line is trained, the length of said line being such that one frame automatically moves out of the casing through said one slot when said other frame is moved into said casing through said other slot, and means for limiting the movements of said frames into and out of said casing, said frames being of substantially the same weight to counterbalance each other.

JOHN MIELE. 

